USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Rowe > History of Rowe, Massachusetts, third ed > Part 6
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A town meeting was called October 22, 1787 to see if the town would retain Mr. Smith. The records show,-"After solemn prayer to Almighty God performed by Mr. Preserved Smith the Pastor elect for direction of the Inhabitants Voted
*He was born June 25, 1759 which would make him 28 years old.
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unanimously to concur with the churches choice of Mr. Pre- served Smith to be the Pastor of this church and People." His salary was fixed at 150 pounds; namely 50 pounds "at or before the first February next, and Fifty pounds the First of November 1788, and fifty pounds the first of November 1789, the whole to be paid in neat cattle" as incouragement to settle." £ This vote seemed confusing so they voted to pay him 50 pounds for the first year's salary with an annual increase of 3 pounds until the sum reached 65 pounds .* Again, lest there be a misunderstanding, another vote was passed that the salary be paid in the following articles- "beef fed by grass at 16/8 per C. porke well fatted at 6/0 per score wheat at 4/0 and rie at 3/0 per bushel and indian corn at 2/5 per bushel the above articles to be of good quality Bulls and Stags excepted."
November 21st was set for the ordination ceremony and the previous Wednesday was set aside as a "day of solemn fasting and prayer to God for a Blessing on their endeavors." The great day and the dignitaries arrived. Lieut. John Wells entertained the ordaining council and Mr. Smith's friends, for which he was later allowed five pounds and nine shillings-We quote from the records :-
"Convened at Rowe Novr 20th 1787
An Ecclesiastical Council consisting of Churches in Greenfield Conway Shelburn Leveret & Deerfield by their Elders and Messen- gers
Elders
Messengers
Rev'd Messrs.
Roger Newton
with Mr. Joseph Wells Greenfield
John Emerson
Dn Jona Root Conway
Robert Hubbard
Col David Wells Shelburne
Henry Williams
Dn Jona Field Leveret
John Taylor
Dn Asabel Wright
Deerfield
*In 1788, citizens in working off their taxes, were allowed 4 shillings per day until August 1st., thereafter 3 shillings per day, and "half as much for oxen as for a man."
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The Rev. Roger Newton was chosen Moderator and John Emerson Scribe. This Council was convened by letters missives from the Cnh of Christ in Rowe for the purpose of ordaining Mr. Preserved Smith to the work of the Gospel Ministry the council being opened by prayer to God by the Moderator for his presence and Direction on this important occasion; a Committee of the Chh and Town laid before the Council their Votes and proceedings Relative to their Call, to Mr. Smith to Settle among them likewise Mr. Smith Pro- duced a Testimonial of his Chh Relation & his approbation to preach the Gospel the Council then proceeded to a particular and full examination of the said Mr. Smith Relative to his knowledge in Divinity his inward acquaintance with experimental Religion his principal views in devoting himself to the Ministry with his abilities and qualifications to that important work whereupon the Question being put whether this Council are satisfied with Mr. Smith Re- specting the Qualifications Above Mentioned passed in the affirmative it was then put to the Council whether the way is open to procede to the Ordination of Mr. Preserved Smith to the work of the Minis- try in this Town. Voted in the affirmative unanimously Voted also that the several parts of ordination should be performed in the order following (viz) That the Rev. Henry Williams open the solemnity by prayer the Rev. Robert Hubbard preach the Sermon the Rev. John Emerson Making the ordaining Prayer the Rev. Roger Newton give the Charge the Rev. John Taylor give the Right hand of fellow- ship the Rev. Roger Newton make the concluding Prayer.
Nov. 21st the Council agreeable to their Votes yesterday proceded to the ordination of the Rev. Preserved Smith to the work of the Ministry over the Chh & congregation in Rowe and the several parts of the ordination were performed Publicly in the Meetinghouse in said Town according to the order appointed by the Council ex- pressed in the above mentioned Votes.
A true copy
Attest John Emerson Scribe."
All went well for nearly ten years. In 1797, however, fricion arose and Mr. Smith allowed it to be known that he desired a dismissal. The town called a meeting Novem- ber 30th and voted not to dismiss him, when he came for- ward and made a formal request for dismissal. A com- mittee was then appointed which on December 17th recom-
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mended "that our Rev. Pastor continue as a Pastor of this Chh and People for one year from the nineteenth day of Novr last in order to see if the dificulties which are on his Mind may be removed, and if not removed in that time then the Chh: and Town is to join with Mr. Smith in calling an ecclesiastical council to advise in his dismission." The story is told how Preserved Smith and his wife were riding to church one Sunday morning. Their home was a mile north of the old center where Sibleys, Wheelers, and Pikes later were to live; and the road was then open over the hill past the "old stone house". A glance backward showed their house on fire; and help must have been slow in arriv- ing, for all the early church records including the hell-fire covenant, were consumed. This ancient Calvinism was never renewed and for a while the Bible became the creed of th church. Perhaps Deacon Foster, hard Puritan that he was, remembered the old creed, and in this way was in- spired to lead his small band of followers* until they had driven their minister from the town. The Direct Tax of 1798 describes the Smith homestead as "East on the Town Road,"-a one-story house covering 576 square feet, (32' x 18' probably) containing seven windows. Apparently he had
moved from his farm on the north road. In December 1797 he bought for $100 from Asa Foster 2nd some 43/4 acres on the west side of a highway running north and south. In November 1799, he bought for $197 a parcel in Whiting- ham containing 78 acres. Then he left town in 1805. He returned eight years later and at once bought the Lewis Chandler place (31 acres) for $700, and six years later (Aug. 1819), he bought for $900 from Gamaliel S. Olds of Greenfield a parcel of 26 acres exclusive of the "tanyard" which comprised half an acre. Probably this included a house, perhaps the one located nearly opposite the Robert Wells house, on the east side of the road.
*These included Reuben Clark, John Cheney, and Timothy Carpenter.
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Mr. Smith "as usual, combined the office of minister and farmer. But he was too much occupied with books, es- pecially the Bible, of which he was a great student, to give much time to the farm, the care of which devolved largely on his capable, energetic wife." He was now receiving 65 pounds yearly, but it was not always paid over when due. In March 1800 the town voted not to pay 6% interest on the balance then due him. Here was one of the reasons
for the "dificulties on his mind". In 1801 the salary be- came $216.67 and again no interest was granted on the "delinquent balance." The following article in the warrant in April 1801 shows a further widening of the breach :- "To see if the Town and the individuals who are unwilling to pay their proportion of the Rev. Mr. Smith's salary can agree and adopt measures to accommodate the misunderstanding respecting the same." Each side chose three men who in turn chose a committee of three "to settle matters of difficul- ty with regard to their paying their proportion". Ap-
parently nothing was effected, for an article along the same lines, the following January, again was voted down. In
March 1802 Mr. Smith's salary was increased to $250. Mat- ters again reached a crisis in the fall of 1803. The town on September 21, 1803 voted unanimously against dismissing him. Three weeks later at a second meeting the town voted to "join the Revd Preserved Smith to Call a Council to assist in effecting a reconciliation if practicable and if not to dismiss him." A month later a third meeting was called and his salary was raised from $250 to $300. This apparently settled matters for "Mr. Smith then came into the meeting and so far settled the difficulty between him and this town that he agreed to return to his Ministerial labors." An idea of the value of the dollar in 1803 can be gained from the fact that 83 cents per day was allowed
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a citizen in working off his highway taxes up to August 15, and 50 cents thereafter .*
By next spring the discontented minority under the lead- ership of Deacon Foster, were able to make themselves heard again, and through their efforts the breach was irre- parably widened. In May 1804 the town voted to retain Mr. Smith if he "relinquished the pay for those eight Sab- baths in which he neglected to supply the Pulpit last fall". Mr. Smith then appeared at the meeting and made these proposals in writing:
"At a Legal Town meeting the Rev. Mr. Smith appeared and after exhibiting the causes of uneasiness between him and some people in this Town relative to his support gave it as his opinion that his ministerial labors can no longer be useful to the church and people in this place under existing circumstances- He then pro- posed that,
1. Rowe give a regular dismission and act in concert with him in convoking an ecclesiastical council.
2. Mr. Smith relinquish $38.50 for suspending eight weeks in the previous September and October.
3. The town give him notes, one payable in three months, the other March 1st next for salary now due.
These proposals the town promptly voted to accept. The Council was held in Rowe, May 29, 1804 and was composed of the ministers from Heath, Colrain, Buckland, Hawley, Charlemont and Shelburne, together with seven delegates from the same towns. A long opinion was handed down which we quote in part, --
"It appeared that difficulties had arisen respecting his support, and Mr. Smith's feelings and those of the Town as expressed to us, relative to his continuing in the ministry among them, afforded no
*In recent years the wages paid for road-work shows the inflation.
1945 - 65c per hour $5.20 per day
1951 - 75c per hour 6.00 per day
1953 - 1.25 per hour 10.00 per day
1956 - 1.30 per hour 10.40 per day
1960- 1.65 per hour 13.20 per day
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prospect, that any permanent reconciliation could be effected, and consequently that his influence and usefulness seemed much dimi- nished."
Accordingly they recommended his dismissal and went on to say,-
"We heartily condole with him in his present troubles and wish him Divine Support, and cheerfully recommend him as a Christian and a minister to the improvement of the Churches of Christ ... We further recommend it to the Church and People to strive for peace, and the things whereby they may edefy one another that the God of love and Peace may dwell among them."
There is a volume expressed in these closing lines. His last discourse was based on the text from Proverbs 15;17,- "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith".
The Church of Christ in Whitingham, Vermont was or- ganized October 25, 1804, and four weeks later voted to invite Rev. Preserved Smith to settle. The town then voted to concur and offered a salary of $300. It seems that Mr. Smith had been preaching in Whitingham, but he declined the invitation to remain. In his last sermon in December 1804 he hinted at the reason, by stating that he thought it unwise for the town to settle a pastor before finishing the meetinghouse. We cannot avoid the suspicion that the reverend gentleman had a bit of Yankee shrewdness among his other good qualities.
In 1805 Mr. Smith removed to Mendon and his son Pre- served, a lad of sixteen, drove the 4-ox team, laden with the household goods, a journey of 100 miles requiring six days .* Here he became interested in Arminianism, although he did not reject the Divinity. While preaching at Mendon one of his old enemies in Rowe circulated a slanderous pamphlet among his new parishioners, but happily with no ill effects.
*Rev. J. F. Moors in his funeral address (Aug. 1, 1881) on Rev. Pre- served Smith, Jr. (son of Rev. Preserved Smith the subject of this sketch) quoted the son as dwelling "with special satisfaction on the fact that as he approached Mendon some of the farmers came out to meet him with a fresh team and relieved his weary oxen."
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We have seen in a previous paragraph that the town of Rowe, after Mr. Smith's dismissal, May 30, 1804, tried in vain to obtain the services of Rev. Freeman Sears. Then they invited Rev. Jonathan Gilmore, but the Council was far-sighted and refused to install him because of the small- ness of the majority of the townspeople who favored him. After this, Rev. Jonathan Keith became the settled pastor in January 1808. Mr. Keith asked for his dismissal in May 1812 which was granted a month later, and the causes given were the state of his health and "dissensions among the people". The records of recent years surely proves that history sometimes repeats itself.
The citizens then assembled (September 4, 1812) and voted unanimously to extend another call to Rev. Preserved Smith and to offer him $300, the same salary he had received when dismissed eight years before. Truly, this could hardly be said to have been very tempting, and it must have been his old love for Rowe and its people that prompted him to accept. The old records reveal nothing further as to Mr. Smith's second settlement in Rowe, and we can picture a fruitful and contented pastorate for many years. His salary of $300 was appropriated annually from 1812 to 1831 inclusive. March 5, 1832 the town voted "to dispense with raising Mr. Smith's Salary at this time," which is the last recorded item relating to him. He was now seventy-three years old and felt compelled to give up his charge. Here he had spent the best part of his life; he had had three children born,-Preserved, Jr., in 1789, Royal in 1799; and had buried two, Royal in 1820 aged 21, and an infant in 1791. From Rowe he went to Warwick to live with his son, where he died two years later, August 19, 1834. The inscription on his gravestone, now housed in the Memorial Church in Rowe, reads as follows:
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Rev. Preserved Smith died August 19, 1834 Graduated at Providence 1786 Settled at Rowe 1787 Then at Mendon 1805 Again at Rowe 1812 Where he lived with an Affectionate People till 1832 When he retired from the ministry.
Remember those who have spoken unto you the word of God. Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation .- Heb. 13:7.
Pressey in later years thus picturesquely writes,
"He was a great student, and talked face to face with the citizens of Rowe one and a half hours' discourses, twice a Sunday for 36 years, which with weekly lectures and other public discourses, makes it that his voice must have vibrated on this Rowe air some eight to ten thousand hours. And judging from this, together with the way his memory was revered, there must have been a great deal of Preserved Smith left in Rowe."
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CHAPTER VII SCHOOLS, LIBRARY, BURYING-GROUNDS, STAGES, ETC.
"The chief glory of New England is in her public schools." Old Saying
The early history of the Rowe schools is based in large part on tradition. It is believed that the first school was prior to 1775 in a log cabin which stood on the site occupied later by the Wells-Ford-Goldthwaite homestead, and that the teacher was Miss Marah Jones, daughter of Cornelius Jones. The scholars were compelled to travel a considerable dis- stance in many cases. The only books were the Bible, the Psalter, Dilworth's spelling book and an arithmetic called Young Man's Best Companion. Subsequently, several schools were held in private houses in winter and in barns in warmer weather until the incorporation of the town.
At the first town meeting, the citizens voted "to hire preaching", but made no appropriation for schools. At the second meeting, September 15, 1785, the town voted "to make but three school Divisions". The first appropria- tion was 30 pounds for "use of Schooling" made at the meet- ing in March 1787. £ Two and a half years later, October 30, 1789, the town voted to divide the town into two school divisions only, the "East Division to take all East of the Road leading from John Adams to Capt. Goodspeads and the west division to take all West of said road. Voted to hire a schoolmaster to keep school two Months in Each division". A committee of two was then appointed "to hire a School Master". Apparently the committee's efforts were successful, for in the following January, the town voted "that the present School Master is to keep three Months for the East part of the Town," and also voted "to hire another School Master three months to keep in the West part of the Town". In 1790 John Wells was allowed £ 3-3 "for Board- ing School Master 14 weeks;" Isaac Langdon 13 shillings "for Boarding School Master and his Horse two weeks;" and
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Gideon Chapin £1-8 for "keeping the School Masters horse fourteen weeks".
Considerable agitation arose over the matter of building schoolhouses, but no constructive action was taken at the meeting in May 1795. Nevertheless a "west schoolhouse" is mentioned in the description of a road in March 1796. In April 1797, the town set up three school divisions, North, Center and West,-and voted to build three schoolhouses. Later, the south division was added to take care of the fam- ilies living east and south of Adams Mountain. In 1798 the sum of $205 was appropriated for "Building Schoolhouses".
In April 1817 the town granted $50 for a teacher "to in- struct in singing sacred music." In 1900 the schoolhouses were as follows :-
Village School at the foot of the hill, one half mile below the present center. Center School, one quarter mile west of the old center. East School, a few rods east of the east burying ground. North School, on the road to Readsboro, at the junction of the Deacon Thomas cross-road. West School, north of Miller-Ayres house, one mile south of the end of the "four-rods west road". Davis Mine School, one- half mile west of the Davis Mine. Peck-Cressy or South- west School,* one-quarter mile west of Allen Peck's home- stead on the road through the Cressy Neighborhood to Hoosac Tunnel. In 1920, the sum of $2,286.37 was paid in salaries to teachers at the Village, West, Center, and Davis schools and $55 to the teacher at the North school. No sessions have been held at the Peck-Cressy school since shortly after 1900. For some years now the Village School has accommodated all the grade pupils, with daily transpor- tation by automobile.
The town has never maintained any school above the gram- mar grades, but provides tuition for those desiring to attend
*The Southwest District was set off from the West in 1824.
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high schools in other towns. Several have attended high schools in Charlemont and North Adams, and also the old Academy in Whitingham which flourished from 1842 to 1861. The school system used to include "prudential committees" who were chosen in each school district and who were authorized to "contract with teachers." In earliest times the school was held in houses and moved about in order "best to accommodate the whole." The school report for June 1840 shows 204 scholars between the ages of four and six- teen. At the Centre were 50, West 26, North 18, South 9, East 35, Mill 36, Southwest 26, and River 4.
In 1894 a school district was formed comprising the towns of Charlemont, Hawley, Florida and Monroe, for centralized school supervision, and in April 1897 the town of Rowe join- ed. All contribute to the superintendent's salary and a substantial portion is advanced by the State.
In October 1804 the town formally accepted the donation of two hundred dollars bequeathed by "Asa Foster 2nd late of Rowe Deceased for the use of Schooling as contained in his last Will and Testament." Turning to his will dated 1803, we find that his property was worth some $1500. "This gratuity (it reads) is not a sudden emotion but has for a long time been contemplated. And all the returns and respect I wish for is the good advice which many find leisure to give my orphan children with a particular regard for their interests and happiness in this world and a future world." The donation of $200 in 1803 would be equivalent to close to $1000 today.
At a special town meeting on June 10, 1960 the town voted to build a new elementary school at a cost of $500,000. This building will include five classrooms, auditorium, cafeteria and the location will be northwest of Pelham Lake Park.
LIBRARY
Rowe's Social Library was organized December 18, 1797 as the result of the efforts of Rev. Preserved Smith with
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probably the assistance of Col. John Wells. The original agreement of 1797 stated the purpose of the society to be that "of promoting friendship & useful knowledge, & with a particular view of purchasing a Library, which is to be the property of said Society Jointly." The name of the "Liter- ary Society in the town of Rowe" was adopted, and so re- mained until the reorganization of January 1806, when it was changed to "The Social Library in Rowe." The first officers were Col. John Wells, Librarian; William Langdon, Clerk; Asa Foster, 2nd, Treasurer; Deacon Jonas Gleason, Censor; Rev. Preserved Smith, Capt. William Taylor, and Dr. Pardon Haynes, Judges. The duties of the Librarian were to have possession of the books, and keep a catalogue and record of their cost. The Censor collected "fines and taxes" and the Judges "tried and determined all causes laid before them by the censor,"-namely, any deliquencies on the part of the proprietors. The dues the first year were $3, and a fine of 17 cents was imposed for non-attendance at a meeting and 8 1-2 cents for late attendance. Members could sell their interest to non-members only with the so- ciety's consent, but could obtain a refund of their subscrip- tion upon moving away more than twelve miles. The ori- ginal members were,-John Wells, Preserved Smith, Asa Foster, 2nd, Moses Streeter, Pardon Haynes, Standish Foster, William Langdon, William Taylor, Lewis Chandler, Jonas Gleason, Zebulon Benton, Lemuel Barret, Asa Foster, Na- than Foster, Sylvester Nash, Caleb Blakslee, Noah Brown, Abel Basset, Joel Hall,* John Thomas, Jonathan White, An- drew Carnegie, Benjamin Olds, James Smith, Amos Negus, Matthew Middleditch, and Ezra Brown.
At first books could be borrowed and returned at any time, but this privilege was restricted in 1802 to the period
*Joel Hall later moved to East Charlemont where he operated Hall Tavern, a picturesque structure close to the road until it was re- moved to Deerfield. He was on the Rowe jury list in July 1804. Allan Healy, in a small volume, "Hall Tavern", 1939, states that Joel Hall purchased the property in 1807.
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from "twelve o'clock to sunset" on the 2nd and 4th Wednes- days of each month. At the reorganization in 1806, the 77 volumes, two blank books, and "Book Desk" were sold under the hammer for $41.24 "at the house of Ezra Tuttle Inholder in Rowe," and were nearly all acquired by the new Society.
This was continued successfully until March 1869, when the town assumed charge upon agreement to pay $25 an- nually for its support and to provide a librarian.
A new library building in 1935 was constructed on land donated by Mrs. Grace Stanford in the village. Librarians in the new library included Mrs. Linna T. Jones, Mrs. Luria Arms, and Miss Helen O. Potter from 1935-1937. Mrs. Jessie F. Sibley became librarian in 1937 and served in this capacity until her retirement in 1955. Mrs. Dorothy N. Stevens has been serving from then to the present day.
STAGES AND STAGE-DRIVERS
Rowe, being nearly four miles from the railroad, has had to depend upon Uncle Sam's stage for mail service. The stage driver is always an important person and is on in- timate terms with everyone on his route. John Ballou stands pre-eminent in the list of drivers and his route lay between Colrain and Monroe. £ Another stage connected Colrain and Greenfield. Later he became a merchant tailor with headquarters in the old Ford Hall at the old centre. He died in 1888.
Jacob Sherman traversed the same route. He used to leave his house, a short distance above Monroe Bridge in time to be ready to start from Rowe centre for Colrain at four o'clock in the morning with the mail and any passen- gers who might be going to the metropolis. It was a great event to take the stage in those days. Maturin Ballou of Monroe for 17 years drove the stage across the hills from Greenfield to North Adams. The railroad was completed as far west as the Tunnel in August 1868 and the stage route was shortened to connect Rowe directly with Zoar. Va- vious additions have since been made to include the small
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group of farms in the northwestern part of Heath known as Cyrus, and even the western part of Rowe, and more recent- ly, Monroe Bridge. But the main line remained Zoar to Rowe .* The drivers have been Alonzo (Lon) Wilson, Horace Smith, Arthur Haynes, Jude Tuttle, Will Shumway, Charles Bishop, Leon Mishler, Will Upton, Francis M. Jackman, Floyd A. Veber, and Richard E. Shumway.
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